Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving

So, I know I'm incredibly late in posting this - and I apologize profusely. A week of some work, some job interviewing, and all of us getting the worst cold this side of cold and flu season, can do that. My every intention was to be back on track with blogging last week, and God-willing I will be again this week. Meanwhile though I did want to wish all of my Canadian family, friends and readers retroactively a fabulous Canadian Thanksgiving - I hope everyone got to share a delicious meal with loved ones and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather here in Ontario (shorts, t-shirts and sunhats ... in Canada ... in the middle of October ... I am not kidding you ... busting every stereotype known to man here!)

As always ... just a short list of things I am thankful for:

1. My family - my parents, including steps- and in-laws, my brother, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, husband, children ... you all brighten my day, and even when you don't (because let's face it, no family is 100% sympatico 100% of the time), there is always something to be learned, and I am grateful for the lessons. I could not ask for a better family ... I truly feel we are a team and face challenges together, while doing our best to avoid creating them ourselves. Do we always succeed? Heck, who does? But we love each other. And that's 99% of the battle right there.
2. My friends. Great ones, good ones, challenging ones, long-forgotten ones. I can honestly say there is a very limited number of people in my life who have occupied space and not earned it. Much like with my family, I appreciate the support and the challenges, and I appreciate the relationships that take work - because they're worth it - and those which are easier - because they can be a breath of fresh air. Whether you make me work doubletime so our friendship isn't taken for granted, or whether I can just plain count on you, no questions asked ... you are important to me and I appreciate that.
3. My work. I don't necessarily have the lovely, 100% fulltime public school teaching contract I might have dreamed of having by the time I was five years into my career. A Jack of All Trades, that's me - I supply teach, I am a part-time youth minister, and I teach online high school courses ad-hoc. But whether it's plain old networking and relationship-building en route to a more stable teaching position ... whether it's helping high school kids work toward their diploma ... or whether it's sharing the love of God with shiny, happy young faces at church, it is good and meaningful work I'm proud of at the end of the day.
4. Dumb luck. I have clean water to drink, food to eat, a roof over my head, work to go to (often), a car to drive there ... I sometimes wonder if I've 'earned' these things ... some I have. Five years of school, working hard, earning everything we have ... I'm proud of that. But I also know at least some of the above comes from being born in the right place into the right opportunities.

I also want to express my thanks, lastly, for the last ten years. I know Ari, my husband, fit into the first thing I was thankful for - my family. But Friday came and went as the ten-year anniversary of us as a couple - when we actually acknowledged that one dance, two dates (and yes, they were dates, honey! lol ...) and how many countless hours of emailing, ICQ (yeah ... dating myself already with that one), and phoning, meant more than just "We're really good friends". 10 years, 9 addresses, 4 cities, 4 degrees, 1 wedding, 3 cars, 2 cats, 5 fish, 1 gerbil and ... oh yeah, 2 kids later, we're still going strong.

"Looks like we made it ... look how far we've come now, baby."